Roll for reducing old rails to homogeneous bars



1 (No Model.) l v H. W. FOWLER.

ROLL FOR REDUGiNG OLDRAILS T0 HOMOGBNEOUS BARS.

Patented Apr. 7, 1885. Fi .1. I 4

N. PETERS. Phoka-Lilhogmpben Wzuhingion. D. C.

UNITE-D} TA ES 1mm 'QPFFICEQ HERVEY w. FOWLER, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ROLL roaaeou'cmc OLD RAILS-TO HOMQ'GE'NEOUS BARS.

srncrr'rca'r'row forming partof Letters Patent No. 315,269, dated April7,1885. Application filed June I, 1863. N6 model.)

specification, taken in connection with the drawings furnished andforming a part of the same, is a clear, true, and complete descriptionof my invention. Y

The prime object of myinvention is to coni vert old railsintohomogeneous billets-i.

6. ,without flaw or seamand germane thereto another important object isto produce such billet-s in less time and with less labor than has, as'Ibelieve, been heretofore involved in their production. Another importantobject is to producefrom such rails a homogeneous billet, .which insectional area is only so far less than the aggregate sectional area ofthe head, web, and foot or flange of the rail, as is naturally incidentto such necessary compression as will insure the condensation of theseveral portions of the rail and the welding thereof into a homogeneousor seamless mass, so that, for instance, a billet substantially rectangular in cross-section and nearly square, developed from a-givenlength of old rail of average condition as to wear, would be, forinstance, about one-fifth greater in length than the length of rail,thus enabling said billet to be more widely utilized in subsequentmanufacture than if it were an ordinary flat billet, or onesubstantially square andof lesser sectional area. Another importantobject is to produce a homogeneous billet from such rails with a minimumexpenditure of or loss in heat, so that the billet may be directly andimmediately worked without additional heating into such forms asshouldinvolve the use of homogeneous or flawless metalas, for instance,merchant bar-iron, bolts, and railspikes-and as an illustration of thevalue of this latter feature I will state that I am enabled, by usingspike-making machinery heretofore patented by me and the necessary pre-I paratory rolls for working upon the billets, to

convert a twenty-inch length of ,old rail into rail-spikes within abouttwenty seconds after the rail has been properly heated for forming thebillet. Heretofore" old rail at a weldingof the flange or foot towardthe web preliminary to the ultimate consolidation thereof heat has beensubjected to separate passes and operations for progressively turningthe edges i with the web and head; butl have discovered that saidconsolidation of the head, web, and flange can be thoroughly performedsimulta neously atfa single operation upon the rail, and .for theaccomplishment of the ends here inbefore recited, and such others as areobvito a welding-heat, as heretofore, and then for the first time, as'Ibelieve,'I simultaneously and consolidate the head," web, a nd flangeinto ously incident thereto, I subject the old rail 5 lap the flange oneach side against theweb 1 welding contact. This consolidation iseffected by pressureapplied, "mainly, at right angles to the plane ofthe web, supplemented by such lateral or equivalent pressure as willcausethe thin metal at the foot or fiange to be folded against the sidesof the web toward theh'ead, and simultaneously merged with the metal inthe web and head into a homogeneous mass. I accomplish these ends by theuseof a pair of rolls devised by me,whereby the head,web,

and flange of a properly-heated rail are simultaneously consolidated inone pass, so that the conversion of a'convenient length of rail into ahomogeneous billet practically rectangular'in cross-section and nearlysquare is I performed instantaneously. the rolls for getting the bestresults being of unusually large I diameter as compared with ordinarymillrolls, and operated at high speed. So far as my knowledge extendspairs of rollsas herea tofore organized for converting old rails intobillets hayecontained box-passes? or 'coincident grooves, and I deemsuch rolls practically unsuited for obtaining the best results,

because the metal should be ata welding-heat,

and it therefore couldnot be well confined as against lateraldisplacement between the rolls adjacent to the pass.- I employ atongueandgroove pass in my rolls, the groove beingpreferably in thelower roll and the tongue on the upper roll. Such rolls, broadlyconsidered, are not new; but I have no knowledge of any priOrrQlls ofthat general class which-would be suited for my purpose, although thereare,

no doubt,many rolls which could be employed withiair results, ifmodified or changed so as to-embodycert-ain features in construction andarrangement which I have found to be important. My grooved roll is thefirst of which I have knowledge suited for heavy ironrolling service, inwhich the periphery of the roll at each side of the groove serves as aninitial seat or bed for the metal which is to be rolled, and upon whichsaid metal is subjected to change in form immediately preparatory to itsactual occupation of the groove orpass. My grooved roll is also thefirst suited for my purpose of which I have knowledge, wherein theentrance or mouth of the groove,by being slightly flaring or rounded,enables each side to serve as a wiping-edge for causing metal supportedupon the seat or bed at the periph ery of the roll to be progressivelyturned at right angles and thence carried into the groove. My groove isnecessarily sufiiciently wider at its top than at its bottom to afford afree clearance of the billet therefrom, and this inclination of itssides with the rounded or flaring entrance to said groove affords alateral pressure upon the metal supplementary to the direct verticalpressure applied by the tongue of the co-operating roll in the plane ofthe web of the rail.

In service my rolls involve what I believe to be a novel mode ofoperation in that the rail, per 86, does not enter the pass, but it isfirst worked by the peripheries of the tongue and the grooved rollwholly out of its normal form and forced into the groove flange foremostbefore the pass is actually reached, so that within the pass the weldingconsolidation and the incident elongation or drawing of the metal areperformed; but it is to be n11- derstood that although said radicalchange in the form of the rail occurs progressively immediately beforethe metal thereof actually reaches the pass, the transformation of apiece of rail into a welded or homogeneous billet is performed by mealmost instantaneously. I also employ for the first time, so far as Iknow, annular guides on the periphery of the grooved roll at properdistances on each side of the groove, so that their edgewise contactwith a rail assures an accurate location of the web of the rail withrelation to the center of the groove, and locates the flange equally oneach side of said groove. I also employ a novel guidebox with my rolls,which is the first, so far as I know, which, while permitting the rearend of a rail to freely move in the plane of its web during a pass,separately confines the head and the flange to said movement, thusassuring the delivery of the rail to the rolls in a predeterminedposition best conducive to the results desired.

To more particularly describe my invention, I will refer to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view of a pair ofrolls as devised by me with my guide-box at tached. Fig. 2 is a verticalcentral section of the same on line m. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectionalview of the coincident or working portions of the rolls as if engaging apiece of rail and converting it into a billet. Fig.4 is an end and aside view of a piece of T-rail as prepared for working. Fig. 5 is an endand a side view of a trimmed billet as preferably produced by me drawnupon a scale corresponding with that of Fig. 4, and fairly illustratingthe comparative increase in length which I find to be most desirable,and also the preferred sectional form and comparative sectional area.Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the rolls at the pass. Fig. 7 is an endView of the guide-box with rail therein.

The rolls A and B are mounted in heavy housings, and have the usualadjusting or temper screws. The bed-roll A is provided with a groove, a,which may be varied in its gen eral form without departure from myinvention. Its sides should, however, be inclined, so that the top ofthe groove will be sufficiently wider than the bottom to afford freeclearance of the billet. For enabling the flange or foot of a rail to bereadily wiped" into the'groove, it is desirable that the entrancethereto be flared as at a; but a slightlyrounded edge will serve a goodpurpose. As to dimensions, said groove may also be varied withoutdeparture from my invention; but I deem it preferable that it should beabout equal in width to the width or lateral thickness of the head ofthe rail to be worked; and I deem it advisable that it should never benarrower than the aggregate of the thickness of the web and the averagethickness of the foot, because the web with the flange lapped againstthe web on each side should be entered therein with comparative freedom.The depth of the groove may be varied according to the desired sectionalform of the billet; but in working ordinary old rail into billets formost purposes I prefer that the pass portion of said groove should indepth be so pro portioned to its width that below the pitchline and atthe pass said groove will be nearly or substantially square incross-section, as indicated in the drawings, it being understood thatsaid pitch-line is preferably located at about one-third the depth ofthe groove below the periphery of the roll. I obtain good results withmy groove below the pitch-line so proportioned in sectional area to theaggregate sectional area of the head, Web, and foot of the rail to beworked that a billet resulting from a piece of rail of a given lengthwill be about one-fifth longer than the rail, the consolidation orcompression incident to such a draw being sufficient as a rule to uniteall portions of the rail into welding contact. The periphery of thebed-roll at 12 serves as a seat for the flange of a rail on each side ofthe groove, and as it is important for the best results that the web ofthe rail be located centrally over the groove and the foot or flangelocated equally on each side thereof, I employ edge guides c, which maybe integral with the roll 5 but for purposes of adjustment they areconstructed in the form of rings, and are provided with set-screws sothat they can be freely moved longitudinally on the periphery one-thirdof the depth of said groove.

of the roll toward or from the groove and thereafter firmly secured inposition. The top roll, B, is provided with at-ongue, d, which registerswith and enters the groove of the lower roll to the pitch-line, which,as beforeenabling it to readily bite upon or engage with j the end of apiece of rail it is roughened on its periphery by being provided atfrequent intervals with slightly-projecting transverse bars or lugs d;or, in lieu thereof, the tongue may be laterally scored at similarintervals.

If the lugs or bars be used, the tongue, after it has been properlyturned off, may be transversely slotted indovetail form, thelugs havingbases correspondingly formed, thus enabling them to be readily replacedwhen broken or worn.

I am aware that rolls having box-passes have heretofore been providedwith studs or pins projecting into the pass, for enabling the rolls tomore readily engage with a rail-head. These rolls vary in theirperipheral dimensions, the bed-roll being as much larger than the toproll as, say, one-third the depth of the groove a, at which point, asbefore stated, I prefer the pitch-line to be located, so that thediametrical dimensions of the rolls, measuring from the pitch line,shall be substantially equal; but inasmuch as the metal in the rail iswholly changed in form before it reaches t-hepass, it is obvious thatthe rolls must at least be of such diameter as to afford between theperiphery of the tongue and the seat of the bed-roll agood gripping-biteupon the end of a rail in itsnormal form when presented with its web ina vertical position, with the flange bearing on the seat b,and the headengaged by the periphery of the tongue. In practice I deem it desirablethat said rolls should be at least thirty inches in diameter, although Ihave used them considerably smaller, and am aware that they can be ofgreater dimensions without materially affecting the results. Havingreference to the power involved in the work, I prefer, however, to havemy rolls only so large in diameter as will assure a prompt and effectivegrip of a full-sized rail or railend presented with its flange bearingon the periphery of the grooved roll.

As thus far described, it will be understood that a rail at welding-heatis presented to the rolls with its flange bearing upon the seat andguided, as described, until engaged at its head by the periphery of thetongue, which, as the rail is drawn inward, forces said rail flangeforemost into the groove, and simultaneously laps the flange against theweb and forces the head, flange, and web into welding contact, and thatat the pass proper the metal is heavily compressed and drawn. 7

For enabling the prompt and reliable delivcry of a rail to the rolls, Ihave devised the guide-box O, which contains a head-guide and aflangeguide, and is sufficientl y deeper than the height of a rail topermit the latter to rise and fall freely while its web is maintained ina vertical position. of the box is much deeper than the thickness of arail-head, and only slightly greater in width thanthe width of saidhead, and the flange-guide portion is a little wider thanthe width of arail-flange, but considerably deeper than the thickness of said flange.

Guide-boxes have heretofore contained 'a bination with grooved rolls,affording a ho) pass; but in said prior guide-boxes the rall 1s Thehead-guide portion headguide and a flangeguide for use in comconfinedagainst vertical as well as aga-instlateral movements.

It will be seen that with my rolls the rail must be easily andaccurately guided longiupper roll the front end is forced atoncedownward flange foremost into the groove, and that as the railadvances its rear end must be free to rise and fall without materialdeviation from its vertical position, although I find that with my rollsas constructed and operated by me, I obtain homogeneous billets,regardless of the twisting by the rail, or its variation in position, solong as it can be made in any way to enter the groove and reach thepassat which the maximum compression is applied. Said guide-box has anose, as at e, which projects well forward and between the rolls, and isso shaped as to closely approach the sides of the tongue and overlie thefoot or flange guides on the lower roll.

ICO

In cross-section its upper portion or headguidef is but little widerthan the head of a rail, and its lower portion or flange guide g is butlittle wider than the foot or flange of a rail, and its interior heightis sufficiently greater than the height of the rail to allow of Althoughfor producing homogeneous billets, the rolls, as shown with a singlepass, maybe wholly relied upon, it is obvious that such atongueeand-groove pass may be em-- bodied in large rolls otherwiseconstructed for various lines of rolling, whereby the billets may bedirectlyconverted into bars or rods of various sectional'form and areas"Having thus described my invention,I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent-- 1. The combination of at-ongue-rolhhaving lugs orbars on its tongue-face, and a grooved roll provided with a seat on eachside of its groove for supporting the flange of a railway rail, andthereby co-operating with thetongueroll in enabling the tongue of thelatter to force said rail flange foremost into the groove, substantiallyas described.

2. The combination of a to-ngue roll and a roll having a groove and aseat on each side of said groove, and a rail-flange guide for each seat,substantially as described, whereby a rail bearing upon said seat isaccurately located with its web centrally over the groove and'the headof the rail located for proper.

engagement by the tongue.

3. The combination, with the grooved .roll having a rail flange seat oneach side of the groove, of adjustable annular rail flange guides foreach seat, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the rail-reducing tongue-and-groove rolls and aguide boX which HER'VEY \V. FOWVLER.

Witnesses:

D. B. SIBLEY, HENRY H. MORGAN.

